Three people who were arrested this week in connection with the murder of a Laois man in 2019 have been released without charge.
Gardaí in Portlaoise investigating the murder of William Delaney, who went missing in January, 2019, have released the two women and a man who were arrested on Monday November 24, in connection with this investigation.
The two women (aged in their 30’s and 50’s) and the man (aged in his 30’s) were all released without charge and investigations are ongoing.
A spokesperson said: “Gardaí continue to appeal to the community and would like to thank them for their assistance so far, however Gardaí believe that people in the community have information and have not yet come forward.
“An Garda Síochána, are appealing for information on the murder of William Delaney and any persons with any information are asked to contact Gardaí at Portlaoise on 057-8674100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.”
William Delaney, who was 56 at the time, went missing on January 31 2019 in the Portlaoise area.
His case was initially classed as a missing persons case but was updated to a murder investigation in June 2019.
William was a Tipperary native who lived in Portlaoise where he had a large family.
On the morning of January 30, 2019, he left Portlaoise General Hospital where he had been a patient.
Gardaí have established that William collected his welfare payment at Portlaoise Post Office after leaving the hospital and was last seen at approximately 3pm on that afternoon in Monasterevin in Kildare where he called to visit a relative who lived in the area.
The relation wasn’t at home but William was seen outside the premises which is situated on the old Cork-Dublin Road directly opposite a local landmark known as the Hazel Hotel.
William was then reported missing by his family on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.
Gardai issued a missing persons report on William Delaney on March 12, 2019 but the case took a stunning twist on Tuesday June 18 when a woman walked into Portlaoise Garda station and claimed he had been killed and buried in a shallow grave at the Rock of Dunamase.
Gardai and members of the Defence Forces sealed off the Laois tourist attraction and carried out searches for a number of days that yielded nothing.
Two people were arrested in connection with the investigation on June 20 but they were subsequently released without charge on June 22.
The on November 18 2019, new information led Gardai to search for Mr Delaney once again – across the county boundary to Kildare.
A team of up to 30 gardai, members of the sub aqua division and members of the Defence Forces carried out a search of an area along the Grand Canal outside Monasterevin.
This is where the final confirmed sighting of Mr Delaney was back in January 2019.
But that once again yielded no fresh evidence and the case went cold until three weeks ago.
On March 22, Gardai searched a house in the Fieldbrook estate on the Dublin Road in Portlaoise.
It is in this estate that Mr Delaney was believed to have been living before his disappeared.
In April 2021, a man was arrested in relation to this case but was subsequently released without charge.
